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Did you notice this article that was written as a result of a meeting that Sam Palmisano took part in on November 30th? The message is similar to one that everyone connected to education have been saying for years. This education isn’t just aimed at our children, but rather at everyone. Make sure you keep your skills as strong as they can be in order to make yourself a valuable employee and your company a strong competitor in your industry (best of breed). I’ve written a few blog entries that cover this area as well… and they end up... [More]

Earlier this year I wrote a blog entry entitled Year of the e-Book . Indeed it has been a very popular year for people trying or switching to ebooks. In the recently published article Top Trends of 2010: Growth of eBooks & eReaders , author Richard MacManus states that “eBook sales almost doubled over 2010 and now make up 9% of total consumer book sales”. Although this is significant, there is still a long way to go before ebooks become widely accepted. I’ve owned my Kindle for a year now and my son has a Sony, so from personal... [More]

I’m currently reviewing a chapter from an upcoming book by Roger Sanders, From Idea to Print: How to Write a Technical Book or Article and Get It Published The chapter I’m reading now is about promoting your book after it is published. Coincidentally I also found an article on LinkedIn about the same topic: Do authors really need to promote their own books? The answer is yes! Authors need to promote their books in as many ways as possible. Today I want to tell you about some of the videos that promote books: 1) My video that was... [More]

During November, Packt is celebrating the recent success of its IBM book range with an array of special offers including: 20% off all Packt IBM print books 25% off if you purchase 3 or more books 30% off all Packt IBM eBooks Here are some you may like to choose: IBM Lotus Notes 8.5 User Guide By Karen Hooper A practical hands-on user guide with time saving tips and comprehensive instructions for using Lotus Notes effectively and efficiently. IBM Rational Team Concert 2 Essentials By Suresh Krishna , TC Fenstermaker Improve your team... [More]

It’s always interesting to see what books sell at a conference. I was also in a lucky position to meet many authors and to discuss with attendees the books that they have read and liked. I’ll pass a few of these suggestions onto you. The Checklist Manifesto by Dr. Atul Gawande , Guest speaker. Book completely sold out. I wish we had brought in his earlier books. Apparently his first book was the basis of the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy”. Superfreakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner . Very entertaining guest speakers. I listened to... [More]

We’ve added two new author signings to our agenda for the IBM Information on Demand Conference that is taking place in Las Vegas October 24-29. The new authors are James Bean and Steven Van Belleghem . I hope that you can come by during their signing sessions to buy a book and to meet the authors. Although it isn’t necessary, I highly recommend that you use the Smart Site to build an agenda for yourself, and “sign” up to attend these book signings. Why? Simply so you remember when and where they are taking place. I’ve tried to make it... [More]

Overwhelming to say the least! There are 11 book sigings scheduled, 5 free flashbooks to pick up, PLUS 600 Technical Education sessions including 160 Cognos and SPSS sessions 110 Industry-focused Business & IT Leadership sessions Session content featuring Software, Hardware and Services Solutions 128 Hands On Labs 300+ customer speakers IBM's largest EXPO Business Partner Development Day and Business Analytics Summit for Business Partners 9000 people to network with!!! How can you possibly find the best sessions to attend at such a... [More]

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Dr. Atul Gawande I just finished listening to the audible version of this book and managed to get through it in a weekend. I think it is an easy read, so most people should be able to read it all in a couple of days. Dr. Atul makes a very strong case for using checklists to turn very complex tasks into steps that will help you avoid forgetting to do something. Airline pilots use them, skyscraper builders use them, surgeons are starting to use them. Now that I've read the book, I think there... [More]

MC Press is the publisher of DB2’s highly successful Certification Study Guide series. Today they have started their semi-annual Scratch & Dent sale with savings of 40% to 75% off of list price. You are the first to be made aware of this sale, so take a look! Included in the list of books this time are several DB2 titles. Here are the titles that I selfishly recommend: Administering Informix Dynamic Server The comprehensive resource for Informix Dynamic Server. Administering Informix Dynamic Server 5074-d Price: $59.95 On Sale:... [More]

I’m re-listening to the audible versions of Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics. As I’m going through it, I’m convinced that the IBM Information on Demand Conference committee couldn’t have chosen better guest speakers for a conference that is all about data! What are these books about? Steven Levitt is an economist who is intrigued by the stories behind the data. He’s managed to find data in the most unlikely places about topics that are not well documented. Stephen Dubner is the journalist who has an exceptional talent of putting together... [More]

This year at the IBM Information on Demand Conference , we have five NEW Flashbooks to give out to attendees for free. What are flashbooks? These are the small and easy-to-read books that we created especially for our IOD audience. I’m really happy with the topics we’ve managed to pull together this year. For those of you who are not able to come to the conference, all of these flashbooks will soon also be available for sale from amazon.com. I’ll post the details when that happens. The book signings & giveaways for these flashbooks... [More]

*** changed signing date/time for Mark Jeffries Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been blogging about the authors who will be signing books at the IBM Information on Demand Conference this October. I think it’s a record that we have 9 amazing authors with books that you can buy and get signed. I’ve read several of the books myself and highly recommend them, but I’ll also be in line buying copies of the books I haven’t yet read. Although it isn’t necessary, I suggest that you use the Smart Site to build an agenda for yourself, and “sign”... [More]

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande This year at the IBM Information on Demand Conference , Atul Gawande will be the guest speaker at Tuesday’s General Session and he’ll be signing copies of his latest book. Atul’s signing session is scheduled for Tuesday, October 26 from 10:00 – 11:00 am. Add this book signing to your schedule via the Smart Site Agenda Builder . His session is Anc # 3722. About his book: Over the past decade, through his writing in The New Yorker magazine and his books Complications and... [More]

IBM software certification exams will be available to registered attendees throughout Information On Demand 2010. Attendees may take up to three IM (including SPSS, Cognos and ECM) exams at no charge; a discounted fee of $100 USD for subsequent exams will apply. See the certification site for further details. Don't miss this opportunity to validate your skills and demonstrate your proficiency in the latest IBM software technology and solutions. To prepare yourself to pass the exams, I have a few suggestions for you: 1) Read through a... [More]

Did I ever tell you that I love my job? Part of why I do is because I’m surrounded by some of the most creative people in the world! Yes, all these developers in the Toronto are very creative, but right now I want to mention authors. I’ve met famous authors: Malcolm Gladwell and Steven Covey , famous people who became authors: Devon Harris (bobsled olympian) and Michael Eisner (Mr. Disney) and just plain interesting people who have written books: Mark Jeffries , Chris Anderson , Magnus Lindkvist , and Chad Fowler . Meeting these people is... [More]